18 Enchantment training and Picton
Creating Enchantment Circles is something that almost all Arcane Practitioners were training at, even if they weren't focusing on enchanting magic. That was cause they could make some Spell Storing enchantments. That would allow them to store a spell of theirs in an item and cast them later immediately with no use of extra mana.
Of course, these kinds of enchantments didn't always last forever. The higher the Spell's grade, the more complex the magic and the use of unique material to handle it.
He currently didn't have any high-ranked spell, so working on that kind of enchantment wasn't something he needed to do. So instead, he worked on an enchantment that could also create with the trinket he gave to Annoue. It would be a V-shaped triangle, separating the triangle into two smaller triangles and a rhombus.
He focused on some of his Light mana that was faster to manipulate and move around and started making a ball of mana at the tip of his right hand's index finger. Then he started drawing with it in the air, the shape he wanted.
It took him a while to release the mana from his finger and keep it in place, so he drew the shape a couple of times.
After he finished, he drew his mana back to his finger and replaced any that got released into the environment and repeated those actions.
He started becoming faster and faster in making the circles. The first one took him 5 minutes to complete it, and now it took him almost 5 secs, but at that point, he had used nearly all of his Light Mana. He had noticed that nearly 70 percent of his Mana Pool was of Light element. It should be the case cause his source was, in theory, also of Light Element since it came from the moonlight.
And so he went in his meditating stance and entirely focused on restoring his Light mana and feeding his Mana Tree and growing it.
He noticed that he still had not even a seed on it, but it had grown to almost half a meter, double the size it used to be. But this didn't change any of his stats or increased his maximum mana. Still, he could feel his mana becoming more comfortable to handle and somewhat felt purer.
After his Mana Pool was complete, he drew the Enchantment Circle he was training with on the mirror they had in the room. When he finished and ensured that it was ok, he focused on enabling the enchantment by making the mana move clockwise.
So the circle produced some very dim light, and then it disappeared. Shingi then summoned a gold coin out of the unique dimension of his Blessing. He pressed its surface on the mirror and let go, and the coin stayed there like it got glued on it. And this was the case, as the enchantment was turning a surface to be sticky like that.
Ten seconds passed, and the coin fell, but Shingi caught it before hitting the surface of the desk the mirror was on. After more testing, it seemed his enchantment could last for 20 secs at most. That was with the mana amount he currently could spare and couldn't handle too much weight, maybe around half a kilogram. He knew that this enchantment's limit was to last an hour at most and hold almost 1 ton, so he still had a long way to go.
Enchantments didn't seem something that the System counted them like spells, as there wasn't any unlocked notification. Still, he knew that this was the case for players, too, so he wasn't surprised. Enchantments were one of the few things that the System wasn't helping keeping track of one has learned, and also, it wasn't assisting players in casting them. That is why few focused on them, but the few who were true masters of them were powerhouses.
Of course, spells had the same effects, but the Enchantment Circle ones were in greater power.
After he used this enchantment close to a dozen times, he took a break.
He also focused his senses once more, and he found out that Garry still didn't seem to have returned, and it was maybe around three to four hours after midnight.
He also would take a break from casting any spells until next dinner time. He had overdone it today, and he should use his magic to make his life more comfortable but not depend on them only.
And he closed his eyes even if he couldn't sleep and tried to relax his mind to the best of his abilities. However, he had to keep his eyes and ears open for Hineko tomorrow night when he told him to meet him again at the storehouse. Also, the System lets him know of another change.
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SPECTATOR MODE is ONLINE
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'Finally.' [Shingi]
This time he stood up since he had noticed that last time he spawned the same way his NPC body was, so he appeared that way too since he was lying down. Also, he assumed that probably his NPC body would fall asleep during it, so he stood up in a way to fall on the bed when losing control of his body. And so he enabled his SPECTATOR MODE once more.
After the expected feeling of the transition of losing his body and moving to his Player character, he was back in Picton. In the same place, a little further than one gate of it, where he was when his SPECTATOR MODE changed to OFFLINE. However, instead of continuing toward the gate, he moved towards the inn closer to where he had left the two girls.
His speed was impressive as he also activated a particular Skill of his called ACCELERATION, which gave him a movement speed boost by consuming his SP. Still, he used his STEALTH skill and PERCEPTION to move without drawing too much attention. He made his way towards the inn in just a few seconds that would typically take him maybe 10 minutes.
And it was just in time, as he noticed the two players he was looking to get out of an inn.
He disabled his skills and walked towards them without trying to hide, and they noticed him.
"It is you from the other day. Don't tell me you are stalking us." [Wild Tycoon]
"Like I would need to do something like that. I am sure at some point you will start a fight and draw the attention of the entire town and not just me." [Ameanum]
Tycoon seemed surprised by Ameanum's returning a comeback like that. She was ready to say something, but Phoenix spoke first.
"It is good that we meet again, Mister Shingi." [Little Phoenix]
"Well, it is my pleasure, Miss Phoenix. I presume from your lack of changing on your equipment that you still need help on leveling up." [Ameanum]
"Well, she isn't the only one who hasn't done something for her equipment as far as I see. But at least you have a sword now." [Wild Tycoon]
Hearing that Ameanum wanted to make another comeback, he had a better way to deal with this situation.
"Well, then why don't we go buy some equipment. It will be my treat." [Ameanum]
He didn't wait for any response as he moved towards the market area. The two girls followed him, but she got curious when Tycoon noticed they weren't heading in Varic's place.
"Won't we get equipment from your friend?" [Wild Tycoon]
"Did I say anything like that? We are heading to the auction house. Who knows, we may find something good. So stop presuming things and keep moving."[Ameanum]
Tycoon was ready to slash him with the big axe hanging on her back, but Phoenix kept her calm, like reading her thoughts. Ameanum, of course, noticed it but didn't pay any attention to it.
"A06. Isn't it a curious combination of letters and numbers?" [Ameanum]
"Where did that come from?" [Wild Tycoon]
"Nowhere specific. Pay no mind on it." [Ameanum]
Ameanum, of course, said it for a specific reason to see the girls' response. Tycoon was the one who talked, but he paid more attention to Phoenix's reaction and, more specifically, her heartbeat. It got a little faster for a few seconds when she heard him saying that.
They made it in an extensive building, the most significant building in the town, the auction house. In the building, players were putting almost anything available for others to buy. There were two ways to put their items to the auction house, either with a specific price or for a while, and others would bid what they would pay. Then, of course, the one with the highest bid would gain it when that time passes.
There were multiple tables with an enormous crystal in the middle of it and smaller ones around them. One could touch one of the small ones to enable an interface of the auction house and check the list and put bids or buy what they wanted. Even if the interface was like a standard game UI, the crystals were mana-powered, allowing things to happen faster.
And so they went over there and started checking, or more specifically, Ameanum was checking. Of course, he was checking the ones that he could buy right away. Even if he found nothing very rare, he found a piece of proper equipment for each of them he wouldn't be able to buy at the NPCs' shop. So they were a little more expensive than what they would pay there, but since it was low-level equipment, it cost like nothing for him.
Even if he was a high-level character, he also got a low-level armor not to draw attention, a new Mage's Rope and staff for Phoenix, and a new greataxe for Tycoon.
He bought them like the cost was nothing to him. Even a beginner like Phoenix was amazed by it. Mainly, the weapons he gave them were ones with abilities, which made them even rarer, as it would be a drop of a boss or reward of an extensive quest. Still, they were low-level ones, and probably the ones who sold them were too high level to use them anymore, but for them, they were powerful for their level.
The fact that Ameanum didn't buy a new sword but kept his standard-looking sword made them more curious but didn't bring it up.
"Well, then what is the plan?" [Ameanum]
"Well, there is a monster area in the west area that we should be able to handle with ease now." [Wild Tycoon]
Ameanum headed to that area Tycoon was talking about last time. There was a cave where goblins seemed to have a deeper community, and many were leaving their shelter out to hunt or steal from others, but players killed most. Of course, many have thought of attacking their community. Still, the deeper in the cave you were getting, there seemed to be defensive mechanics that were becoming harder and harder to avoid and were getting also deadlier. But those seemed to ignore the goblins and not affect them. Someone powerful was protecting them, but none knew their identity.
In the past, a big guild worked its way to destroy the Goblin Town there but failed. Most were sure that the Goblin army did not attack Picton because of the tree and its power to keep monsters away. There weren't any other towns nearby, and Goblins seemed to survive in the cave, but some were getting outside from time to time.
After they got out of the city through the west gate, they headed more towards the west. Finally, after a few minutes of Shingi mostly leading the way since he was pretty familiar with the area, they made it to a cave entrance.
At that point, the spirit of Ameanum felt of getting lifted a little as he finally got to do something he hadn't done for a while.
"Let's go monster hunting." [Ameanum]
